City Western League Preview : Coaches Call Conference Stronger and More Balanced

Last season the City Western League was split in half as three teams tied for first place with 8-2 records and the other three teams combined for six victories.

How quickly things have changed. So it seems.

The coaches in the City Western League think that this season any team could win it, and that the overall league balance makes it possibly the strongest league in the county.

“I think it’s fairly even top to bottom,” said La Jolla Coach Rick Eveleth. “Our league is by far the strongest in the county.”

City Western teams have fared well in the nonleague season. La Jolla (9-4) finished second in two tournaments, the Hilltop and the Limited Division of the Kiwanis. Kearny (10-3) has won four of six games against the powerful City Eastern League, including a 69-65 upset of Mira Mesa. Much improved Clairemont (10-3) placed second in the Classified Division of the Kiwanis Tournament and Mission Bay (5-5) placed third. Also, University City upset St. Augustine, 56-48.

The main reason for the divided power structure of the league is the overall use of underclassmen.

“Our league has so many good young players,” said Mission Bay Coach Mike Seaman. “There is more talent on more of the teams this year.”

Most of the talent in the 1987 version of the City Western League is young. For example, three teams (Clairemont, La Jolla and Mission Bay) start at least one sophomore and La Jolla starts two sophomores and two juniors. Two other teams, Kearny and University City start three juniors.

Although the consensus favors Kearny or La Jolla to win the league, Clairemont, coached by ex-UCLA star Greg Lee, has made the biggest turnaround. The Chiefs won only one game in 23 tries last season and were winless in league play. Thus far this season, Lee has led his team to a 10-3 mark.

With the power structure more divided this year and with the expanded playoff format, it would seem likely that at least three teams will get a postseason berth. Last season La Jolla won the coin flip as the league’s top representative and Kearny and University of San Diego High School played off for the other spot. USDHS earned the second playoff spot with a 63-62 overtime victory.

“Last year Kearny was one of the better teams in the 2-A and they didn’t get to go to the playoffs,” said USDHS Coach Pat Murphy. “This year, that wrong has been righted.”

Clairemont

Last season’s record: 0-10, 1-22.

Finish: Sixth.

This season’s record: 10-3.

Coach: Greg Lee.

Top returnees: Jason Deal (6-4, 185, Sr.), Lamont Jackson (6-1, 165, Jr.), Ray McDavid (6-1, 170, So.).

Top newcomer: Vic Baer (6-6, 190, Sr.).

Outlook: For Clairemont to continue its early season winning ways, it needs to run. In a nonleague game, San Dieguito played slow-down with Clairemont and won, 48-32. Lee thinks that he gets the best use of his athletes, namely guards McDavid and Jackson, when the Chiefs are running the fast break.

Baer, who transferred from Mt. Carmel last year at mid-semester, is averaging 18 points and 10.5 rebounds per game and has been overall consistent despite a 1-for-14 shooting effort against Crawford.

Deal, who is the only returning senior in the starting lineup, is averaging 17.5 points and 9 rebounds per game.

“I doubt that there are too many players in the league who can shoot from the outside like he can,” said Lee.

Kearny

Last season’s record: 8-2, 17-10.

Finish: Tied for first.

This season’s record: 10-3.

Coach: Bill Peterson.

Top returnees: Tim Garlin (5-10, 160, Sr.), John Williamson (6-7, 215, Jr.), Dion Osborne (5-10, 155, Sr.).

Top newcomer: Randy Robinson (6-3, 175, Jr.), Chris Ortiz (5-11, 155, Jr.).

Outlook: Kearny uses three guards and two post players and has achieved a fine balance thus far. Robinson, who was a junior varsity reserve a year ago, is greatly improved and is averaging 11.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. Williamson averages 12.9 points and 11.2 rebounds and Garlin averaged 16.5 points.

On the horizon is 6-foot 7-inch junior Darrin Weeks, who was the leading scorer on the junior varsity last season and is quickly developing into a varsity player. “He will get a lot of playing time down the stretch,” Peterson said.

The Komets are shooting 66% as a team from the free throw line and their 31 of 38 was a major part of the Mira Mesa upset.

Kearny’s best asset is its guards. With a more open, running style offense, Osborne, Ortiz, Garlin and 5-7 senior Chinh Duong are the keys to the team’s success. They are also excellent ball handlers.

La Jolla

Last season’s record: 8-2, 17-6.

Finish: Tied for first.

This season’s record: 9-4.

Coach: Rick Eveleth.

Top returnees: None.

Top newcomer: Sean Rodgers (6-3, 170, Jr.), Adam Kleid (6-1, 165, So.), Jerome Sherman (5-11, 160, Jr.).

Outlook: Entering this season without a top returner, Eveleth was not real optimistic, but with second-place finishes in both the Hilltop and Kiwanis tournaments, his attitude has changed.

“We have matured a lot quicker than anybody has expected,” said Eveleth.

Sophomores Kleid and David Berteaux (a 5-8, 140-pound, guard) are both impact players. Kleid is the team’s second-leading scorer averaging 10 points per game. Berteaux has improved rapidly and averaged 20 points per game in Kiwanis Tournament play. Rodgers leads the team in scoring with a 13.0 average.

Center Dennis Doxey (6-4, 200) is the only senior in the starting lineup and adds stability. “He’s our team captain,” Eveleth said. “Any time you have the big kid it makes you respectable.

“We have some good athletes who can really shoot.”

Mission Bay

Last season’s record: 4-6, 5-14.

Finish: Fourth.

This season’s record: 5-5.

Coach: Mike Seaman.

Top returnees: Ernest Johnson (5-10, 160, Sr.), Dwain Smith (6-1, 165, Sr.), Rick Hurley (6-4, 200 Sr.).

Top newcomer: Steve Grebing (6-4, 180, Jr.), Bob Umber (6-4, 200, Sr.), Keith Henderson (6-0, 160, So.).

Outlook: “We have done a real good job on defense,” Seaman said, “Now we need to get consistent scoring from at least three guys.”

No one on the team averages in double figures and Seaman says he needs three players in double digits during league play for his team to be competitive.

Mission Bay has held its first 10 opponents to an average of 47 points a game, but it has averaged only 48 points over that period.

It’s not for lack of talent. Ernest Johnson was an all-Kiwanis Tournament selection, Umber has improved each game and the Grebing brothers, Steve and sophomore Brett (6-5, 170) are just realizing what they can do.

“For us to win league, we have to do an exceptional job on the boards and shoot a better free throw percentage,” Seaman said. “We still have to put the pieces together.”

University City

Last season’s record: 2-8, 4-17.

Finish: Fifth.

This season’s record: 4-4.

Coach: Tom Medigovich.

Top returnees: Durrell Sims (6-3, 160, Sr.).

Top newcomer: Murray Peller (5-7, 115, Jr.).

Outlook: “We have a pretty good inside game,” said Medigovich, whose team starts a front line of Sims, and transfers 6-4 junior Scott Mobley (Minnesota) and 6-6 junior John Pippin (Sweetwater High). But the inside game hasn’t been the problem with University City. It’s the outside game that Medigovich thinks his team needs to improve.

“We shot 13% against Christian last year,” he said.

He hopes to combat that problem with Peller and his brother Allen (6-0, 155, Sr.).

The coach’s biggest surprise has been in the play of Sims, who leads the team in scoring, averaging 18 points per game.

“Durrell came from nowhere to be, I feel, the best big man in the league,” said Medigovich. “He’s the most improved player I’ve ever seen. He was 5-6 as a sophomore. He has really worked on his game. He handles the ball well for his size.”

U. of San Diego High

Last season’s record: 8-2, 17-8.

Finish: Tied for first.

This season’s record: 3-8.

Coach: Patrick Murphy.

Top returnees: James Wilson (6-5, 200, Sr.), Eric Boxstahler (6-5, 210, Sr.), Matt Seidlinger (6-3, 170, Sr.), Steve McGreevy (5-10, 150, Sr.).

Top newcomer: John Montali (6-1, 160, Jr.), Anthony Massa (6-0, 165, So.).

Outlook: As Wilson goes, so go the Dons. Wilson’s summer all-star camp play sparked as much interest from basketball coaches as he’s currently getting from college football recruiters.

“At the Pepperdine camp he was absolutely incredible,” Murphy said. “In the team division he just carried us.

“Right now the recruiting has taken up his mental as well as his physical time. Right now James has a lot on his mind.”

Despite the distractions, Wilson still leads the team in scoring with a 13.5 average. He has gotten some help from Seidlinger’s 12.6 average, but no one else is in double figures.

Murphy has been pleased with McGreevy’s improvement and the aggressive style of Massa. However, for the Dons to compete in league play, Murphy needs more scoring from Boxstahler.

“James is still our main man,” Murphy said. “So much of our offense is built around Wilson’s talents. We need to establish his presence on the court. If we can do that, then it should open up shots for some of the others.”

Of USDHS’ eight nonleague defeats, four were at the hands of Morse, Mt. Carmel, Oceanside and Poway.